Only
by backoff22
Summary: You don't realize how often you make a choice But our life phrase? Nothing before it mattered. That it was the one moment in our life that truly mattered because it was what fate wanted from us. I had always been told that when we come across the paths that has to do with our life phrase it would be obvious. I didn't think it would be this damn obvious. OC-rating for cursing
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: It's Only the Beginning

I've lived billions upon billions of lives. That is the curse of my kind. We don't just live our life. We live all the possibilities of one life until we choose the correct one. Not like reincarnations or some such. We literally live all the possibilities in one lifetime. All based upon a single phrase given to us at birth that we have to manipulate into the correct order. Sometimes there is a word that you must take out or add to make it correct. And sometimes it was just the phrase itself. Sometimes two words, sometimes almost a paragraph. And forget grammar, it means nothing to life phrases. But with us all having to live multiple lives, we didn't procreate with each other very often, because here's the thing. Us telling people of what we are? Is ALWAYS the wrong choice until after you've completed your life phrase. Even to another one of us. As such our people have slowly become a recessive trait that next to never showed. Only way to tell was to see the phrases across our wrist and know. But come on. How trendy is it to have random inspirational or emotional phrases tattooed on your wrist? Little difficult to tell the difference between trend, and specific type of demon.

The shittiest part of my life? I was the last of our kind that my family knew about. I know, I know. I said we couldn't tell each other so how do I know I'm the last? Because there used to be some communication network that once our phrases were completed, we would contact each other. But our bloodlines thinned out until they were nonexistent, because of the whole not telling anyone what we are thing a lot of times either dying, or already taking a life partner. Hell I wasn't even full blooded. My mom was half water demon while my dad was half wind demon. My dad's life phrase came just after I was born and for some reason it caused my parents to not have any more kids. Maybe one of the possible futures had more kids and it ended in all of our deaths and he didn't want that so one kid it was. "Children get only one childhood" was etched on his wrist and he refused to talk about the other possibilities. You know how many times Spirit world has had to send people to kill us because someone we loved died in every possibility we chose and we chose to make the world burn (sometimes literally) in any way we could because of that? There were reasons we were rare. That was another one of them.

Our first choices were usually simple ones of course. Do we choose to come out of the womb kicking and screaming, or quiet and neat? Do we choose the pacifier or our thumb? Every. Single. Damn. Choice. You don't realize how often you make a choice. Do I put on my left shoe first or my right? Do I choose to hit the snooze button, or get up? Stupid little choices that most don't think twice about. But we have to. The first few years of life are the most difficult as you can imagine. You aren't cognizant enough to really understand what is happening. When we hit around the age of 5 or 6 though we have lived enough lives that we are more than aware, and our parents (who at the same time have been living their own multiple universes if they haven't completed their life phrase, or even if they have the trait at all) can help us.

I remember I once tried an entire month of not choosing anything. But guess what? That in and of itself was a choice on my part. That month was a real bitch to relive. If I remember right I had to relive it something like 5,437 times. Give or take a few times of course. You know how monotonous it can get trying to be a rebelling teenager having to do the same homework 36 times in a row because you chose to doodle in the corner of the page and did the wrong doodle. It wasn't ALL bad though. I did get the choices correct some of the time. I knew when I picked the wrong choice because one of two things happened. One. I blink. The literal next time I blink I am back in the beginning of my choice (usually happens with the mundane choices). Like I choose to grab the apple from the fruit basket as my breakfast. I blink as I take a bite, and I'm walking into my kitchen again. Grab the banana, blink. Walking into my damn kitchen. Make a full breakfast, including pancakes, bacon, and eggs? Blink. Walking back into the kitchen. Choose nothing, simply put my shoes on and walk out the door, and my day continues. Other times it's much more annoying. I've had to live ENTIRE YEARS. Try living your sixteenth birth year over 10 times because you wanted a damn party. Oh and having to relive your most embarrassing moments time and time again because you are trying to prevent it after the first time it happened. Think about your favorite video game with that really hard boss. You know the one. You've died so many times but the dialog doesn't allow you to skip it and you start mocking it by repeating it as it's said. I just do it in my head.

I'm rambling. That won't do me any good. I'm was told that once we have lived through our life phrase that we no longer have to worry about the choices we make. That we won't have to relive any life. That we are on the last path of our lives, and we live it just like any other mortal. Sure demons live longer lives than humans but we are still mortal. I'm told we will get to live all of the possibilities of our life phrase and then we are given our first TRUE choice. The ultimate choice of which to have. It no longer mattered if it was correct or not, that's where life would lead.

I'd heard stories of people choosing a path and within seconds they died and never returned. I've died exactly 13,722 times. I have a little tally app. Other people die within a few hours or days. Like my aunt. Her phrase had been "Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing." Very poetic and shit right? Well I'm told her life phrase caused her to climb every damn mountain in the world. Her last was some mountain in some country that I didn't care to remember. She had realized it was her life phrase at the beginning of her first mountain climb. And after she had climbed them all she was brought back to the moment she first chose to climb a mountain. She chose her favorite and climbed it. She got to the top. Looked around and when she was satisfied she started climbing back down. She froze to death the first night on the climb down. Mom was of course upset. But she had already completed her life phrase, and didn't have to relive her sister dying. Her phrase was some bullshit she completed when she was still a teenager. "Be" She had chosen to "be yourself" in some stupid teen social situation. The completed phrase was etched on her wrist like all our phrases became once completed. Not all of them were epic life journeys.

As I said before. You don't realize how often you make a choice (ha! You had to hear a phrase a second time and I bet you are slightly annoyed by it! Amateur). But our life phrase? Nothing before it mattered. That it was the one moment in our life that truly mattered because it was what fate wanted from us. I had always been told that when we come across the paths that has to do with our life phrase it would be obvious. I didn't think it would be this damn obvious.

* * *

Author's notes: Here's a new story! Our main girl curses...a lot...so if you don't like that type of thing this may not be your type of fic. BUT! I've been playing with this story in my head for quite a while. I've posted it on one other site, but thought it finally time to post it here as well, so I would love to hear your thoughts on it! Don't worry the yyh gang will come in soon! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

I looked up at the forest around me, my blue-green eyes searching for danger as I took a step over the branch in front of me apprehensively. I couldn't see anything. It was night time and I was in the middle of a dense fucking forest. I couldn't see anywhere to go, except to crawl under some brush. I guess I could have stayed still until morning but I had a gut feeling that wasn't the correct choice (that happened sometimes, I just KNEW what was wrong). I, for the billionth time in my life, cursed my genes to have made it so next to none of my dad's genetics came through. Then I could've just flown out of here on the wind. But I didn't. So I did what I had to. I got on my hands and knees and crawled under the bush, pushing aside smaller branches that were in my way. It was like a damn tunnel. I felt like Alice in wonderland and I was following the white rabbit. I saw light in front of me and took a sigh of relief. I crawled quicker and could feel the scratch of the branches against my bare skin but I didn't care, they'd be healed soon. I crawled into a clearing and sat back on my ankles wiping my hands together to get the dirt and debris of the forest floor off my hands. My wrist started to burn. I looked at the phrase I had known my whole life. It was the word "only" in deep red and on top of it in a dark purple that most thought was black, "She told him that she loved him". I pushed my pin straight orange hair behind my ear (again another choice. Sitting in a salon chair for hours to see the final result of a color only to blink and be back at the beginning of the appointment asking what color I was wanting to go for was fucking annoying). This was it. I was finally going to finish my life. I just had one last choice to figure out. And of course it would come while I was lost in the woods. I scanned the clearing. Not that I could see much due to the new moon, but with the stars I could just make out a few paths. I reached to the nearest tree and pulled some of the water from it creating a small water orb floating above my hand. I sipped at it as I glanced at the choices. There were four different paths. I sighed as I gulped down the last of the water, and wiped my hand on my pants. I went on one knee, pulling out my electronic notepad. It was the only thing that wasn't affected by my multiple lives. I could write the choices of an entire year or more on here and if I had to restart that year, my notes were still there. My mom said King Koenma had given it to one of my grandparents. Before that, those who kept notes just wrote them on paper. I drew a crude drawing of the four paths and made a note saying "Option 1" and pointed to the path directly to my left. Like, there was an actual, literal path. I hadn't been on a path in weeks and my fucking life phrase is just like "here ya go! Here's a path to your future". Fucking hell. I wonder how many times I would have to repeat pieces of these paths. I took a sigh and started walking down the path. About half hour of walking down the path I reached another crossroads. Well fuck. I really hoped this didn't mean the other paths would have split paths like this one. That would mean I had EIGHT choices. That would be a lot of walking. I hated walking. I wouldn't be in this damn forest if the flying eyeball I had borrowed hadn't keeled over. I pulled out the notepad again and made a note under the option 1, drawing a small Y and circling the left part. I folded it back up and put it back in the pocket.

"Well, come on feet."

I hitched my pack a little higher on my back. I took the left path and walked until the suns started rising. This is why I loved human world. One sun. Less chance of a sunburn that way. Here in demon world I felt like I was baking myself alive. I usually would have my music playing but I wanted to hear the forest wake up. I started to debate on whether or not I should stop and eat something. I blinked and I was sitting against a tree, an apple in one hand and my book in the other. I looked around thoroughly confused. I was used to time jumps. Just into the past. Not the future. I pulled out my notebook, quickly unfolding it and writing down that I had been walking and now was sitting eating an apple with a book. I folded it back and shoved it back in my pocket. I noticed my backpack leaning against the tree next to me. I shook my head of the confusion and decided to go with whatever was happening. I took a big bite of the apple and started reading. I freaking loved history. Last week I was reading about the 16th century and all the amazing artists and works of art that are still around today. Sure the Sistine Chapel was in next to ruins due to one of the worlds wars, but someone at some point had recovered much of the famous ceiling and preserved it in a museum. I wanted to see it someday. It was one of my life goals.

"Hello there."

I startled so much that I dropped my book and my mostly eaten apple. I looked up at the man in front of me. He looked a few years older than me. His red hair was tied back in a loose bun. He was wearing more expensive looking tennis shoes, jogging pants, and a loose white t-shirt. It was so casual my brain didn't immediately click just who he was. The sun was shining behind him which made pretty much his entire face invisible.

"Um. Hi?"

I didn't normally have random guys talking to me, especially ones with as smooth of a voice as his.

"May I ask what you are reading?"

I held up my hand to shield from the rapidly rising sun. I gasped a little when I saw the emerald green eyes.

"No…" I whispered.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you; I'll leave you to your reading then."

I didn't answer him. Not realizing what he said, I had grabbed my backpack and was rifling through it as quickly as I could. I threw the 16th century book in and pulled out the 20th century one. I flipped through the well-worn pages. Sure I could've looked it up on my notepad, but I loved my books. Loved the smell and feel of them. I found the page I was looking for, the emerald eyes staring coldly out of the pages.

"No fucking way. Are you-" I looked up to where he was and realized he was no longer there.

"Fucking fuck! Hey wait!" I saw him in the distance and scrambled to my feet, grabbing my bag and holding the book in the other hand. I chased after him. I thankfully saw him slow his jogging until he came to a stop. I finally caught up to him and was panting, trying to catch my breath I leaned forward with my hands on my knees, my bag laying on the ground. I looked up at the man I now recognized. His jaw strong, but his eyes showed concern.

"I *puff* I- sorry *huff* fuck I'm out of shape." I reached over to a nearby tree pulling another ball of water from it. I quickly slurped it up not worrying about how girly I was or was not looking.

"Listen. Sorry. I wasn't saying no you can't know what I was reading. I-look. Hold on."

His eyes had turned to curiosity the second I pulled the water from the tree and mild amusement at my rambling. I opened the 20th century book again and started flipping through it as I had lost my place while I ran. I found the page I had wanted and held it just under his face. Sure enough it was him. Mother fucking Yoko Kurama himself. I couldn't believe my eyes. He reached up and gently pushed the book away from his face.

"You're Yoko Kurama. Best thief in any of the worlds, something about having to live as a human for some years, joining up with the infamous Yusuke Urameshi to help him with his cases-"

Yoko Kurama looked as if he was about to speak but I plowed on.

"-fighting in the last ever Dark tournament, though it's not in the history books on WHY you were in it. Why did you fight in the Dark Tournament? What did they have on you? AND THEN YOU FOUGHT THE ROGUE SPIRIT DETECTIVE! HOW COULD I FORGET THAT?! You all defeated him and then the great Yusuke Urameshi created the Demon World Tournament, long live the King. After the first world tournament it's said that you came back to human world and FUCKING DISAPPEARED! How could one of the most famous people in the past hundred and fifty years just DISAPPEAR?! And then you came back for the most recent tournament but didn't win. You lost against Souketsu. FUCKING SOUKETSU! I was there for that match! There's no way I would ever enter the tournament. I know there's the whole no killing rule, but I would die simply by exhaustion. Again, not that in shape."

I took a breath and just looked up at him expectantly waiting for an answer to any of the multitudes of questions I had asked him. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

"Um. Thank you for a slight recounting of my life. It's good to know that history is not being skewed too much."

"So it's true?"

He nodded a little and tilted his head slightly.

"I'm going to be blunt I-"

His laugh burst from his lips.

"What? What did I say?" I got annoyed at him laughing at me.

"I'm sorry. Truly. Just saying you are _going_ to be blunt, as if you hadn't been before."

I glared up at him.

"Ok. Fine I get it. You aren't the first person to tell me that. Fact still remains. You, the great Yoko Kurama, fascinate me. So much of who you are is a mystery. The only one that is less documented is Lord Hiei."

He smiled at me. The quick smile actually worried me a little. He wasn't known to be kind. Ruthless? Absolutely. Kind? Not so much. I didn't know him enough to even know if it was a sincere smile or an I'm-going-to-kill-you smile. I took a cautious step back. I knew for a damn fact there was no way in hell I would be able to get away if he actually wanted to hurt me, but it was instinct. I didn't have a lot of it, but apparently he was setting it off. He chuckled a little and that made me even more uneasy.

"I mean you no harm, I assure you. Please. Call me Kurama. Just Kurama. I was going to ask if you would like to get some tea or coffee and we can discuss some of your questions."

I looked across the table as Kurama took a sip from the mug. His eyes were closed seemingly to enjoy whatever was in the cup. His hair still held the wet look without dripping. He was now wearing a blue short sleeved yukata top. I looked to my hands and noticed I held a large cup of hot chocolate with a large dollop of whipped cream, sprinkles gracing the top. I lifted the cup to my lips and took a small sip. It was delicious.

"Need anything else, Sugar?"

The waitress asked. I realized she was only talking to Kurama. She was giving her best smile. Not the smile you give to all customers because you had to, but a real smile. One that you give to potential mates. Kurama didn't seem to reciprocate, only giving a small polite smile.

She nodded, "Well my name is Aine if you need any help, just holler." She sauntered to her next table; I was sure for Kurama's benefit, throwing her long white yellow hair over her shoulder. The diner we seemed to be in was plenty busy, with her seeming to be the only waitress.

"Where are we?" I blurted out. I realized the strangeness of the question as he slightly tilted his head. It seemed like he showed his fox traits more than any of the history books described. I powered ahead.

"I mean like the town, I got lost while I was over the forest and I was trying to find the nearest town. I was riding one of those flying eyeballs that they have in the tournaments? My friend had let me borrow it. And guess what. IT DIED. THE FUCKING CREATURE DIED. IN THE AIR. Well I plunged to the ground. I'm surprised I don't have more bruises and cuts. The foliage must've broken a lot of my fault. Then I started walking. And I don't walk. You can see that."

I looked at him with the smallest smile and I felt my gut clench. Hell, he was handsome. Sure, I noticed it in the history books, but pictures never do a person justice. And that smile? Fucking smoldering.

He chuckled a little before responding. "We are about two hours walk from the Sarayashiki portal gateway."

"Really? Ugh. I'm never going to make that before the end of the day. I'll have to find some sort of hotel. Is there one around here? I've never been in this part of demon world. I'm supposed to be heading home to visit my folks. I guess I should probably call them and let them know I'm not dead." I took a gulp of my hot chocolate and savored as my throat heat up and eventually settled in my stomach.

He seemed to find me incredibly funny because he laughed again.

"There is indeed a hotel. Just down the road from here. I can show you there after we finish our drinks." He took another sip of his drink. I think it was tea from the lack of strong coffee or chocolate smell.

"I believe you had some questions for me? And this time can we try one at a time? Or at least a set of questions that pertain to the same thing?"

I studied him momentarily. I still didn't completely trust this nice guy persona.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You just met me on some path, and then I practically fangirled over you. Not many people would accept that level of crazy so easily."

"Are you crazy?" He asked so simply my jaw just seemed to unhinge. He steepled his fingers and simply looked at me. I almost wanted to ask what he was drinking out of sheer curiosity but didn't because that would indicate I wasn't paying attention in my little time skip thing. Whatever happened during then...I looked out the window and guessed it had at least been four hours. I was used to repeating four hours. Not losing them.

I turned back to Kurama with a shrug, "Depends on your definition."

His grin grew, "You like honesty am I to assume that is correct?"

I nodded a little hesitantly.

"Good. How about we be honest with each other?"

Again. I nodded a little hesitantly. I didn't know where he was going with all this. I'd be honest as I could.

"Fantastic. Let's start with you telling me your name."

I grinned wide. There were no other words for it. I stuck my hand out as if to shake hands and said proudly, "Name's Kazemizu. Mirai Kazemizu." I giggled in my head thinking about those ancient films of the spy who introduced himself like that.

"Water wind? I don't mean to be rude, but is that what you are?"

I shrugged. "Mum was from a water clan, Da was from a wind clan. I got next to nothing from my Da. You saw pretty much the extent of my Mum's power. I can suck water from plants and I can manipulate water into fun shapes and whatnot. I know. Not very demon like to not be striving for power but," I gave another shrug, "that's not just me."

He made a contemplative sound before taking another sip of his drink. I decided it was my turn for a question. Suddenly all my questions were gone. I looked around for my bag and found it on the floor under my chair. I grabbed my book and a pen. I flipped it over to the page with a bookmark in it (damn nice of me).

"Ok. First. Why did you fight in the Dark Tournament? The special team is said to always be invited and it's not a good invitation. It's usually blackmailing. How was it to fight with a human of Kazuma Kuwabara's caliber? He's said to be the only full human with his level of power. Some say he has the greatest amount of pure spirit energy of any human who has ever lived. Or. Lives I guess would be the right phrasing since he still lives. He's still around right? I've heard that he's getting up in age, but because of his power he's like the great Master Genkai who lived WELL beyond that of an average human. They say that if she hadn't been consuming all that tobacco she could've easily surpassed the age of a low class demon." I realized I had asked way more than he asked.

"Shit, sorry. Just the first part. The why did you fight and how it was part? Please."

He simply shook his head.

"You amuse me, Mirai. I once had a human family. When I was still simply Yoko Kurama, demon thief I got hurt and to save myself I inhabited a human shell. An infant that would not have been born alive if not for me. It had no soul. My mother was unaware of this piece of information. You are correct. The special team is only invited by blackmail. Mine was the death of my mother. I cared for her deeply by this point. I did not at first, mind you. And Kuwabara….he…He is the best man I have ever known. He is the man with the greatest sense of honor and code that I have ever met and I have met my fair share of people with a code of honor."

I scribbled little notes in the margin of my book. This was the best day of my life. I couldn't count the amount of time I had read about the Great Spirit Detective Team and what they went on to accomplish.

"What does the tattoo mean? Do you have anymore, or just the one?"

I started to pull my hand back but he was quick and grabbed my hand. It sent a jolt of warmth straight to my core. His hands were rougher than they looked. I had a brief glimpse of what they would feel like on other pieces of my skin. Woah. Murder talk there.

"Uhh. Just the one. It's nothing important, just this phrase that has been really influential on my life."

For the first time I saw Kurama frown. I tried pulling my hand away but his grip was strong.

"So you are taken then? I don't smell any markings."

"Nah, nothing like that." I looked down at the offending words. I squinted at them a little. The word 'only' no longer was behind the closer phrase, it was in it. It now simply read, 'She told him only that she loved him'. Huh. Guess it showed what phrase corresponded to which path. I tried changing tactics. His grip was starting to get a little painful.

"It's a family thing."

His grip lightened but didn't he didn't release my hand. I decided to allow it for now.

"What happened to you after the demon world tournament? The first one that is."

He seemed to visibly relax at my question. I hadn't realized how tense he was until his shoulders slumped, posture relaxing, and an easy smile graced his lips.

"You know, besides my friends, you are the first person to ever ask that?"

I gaped at him. Openly. Surely I couldn't be the _first._

"I actually went back to human world to live out my human life as Shuichi Minamino. I worked for my step father for a time. Watched my mother and step father get old and die, and my little brother died shortly after that. Drunk driver."

His smile had turned sad and it made my heart hurt. A face like his should never have that look on their face.

"You said you needed to call your folks. They are still living? Any siblings?"

I stared at him a little before my mind could catch up. I took a large drink of hot chocolate to hide my staring. I don't think it worked because I started choking on the drink. He patiently waited as I got myself together.

"Are you ok?"

I nodded a little wiping the whipped cream off my nose.

"Yes, sorry. Yeah. Parents are still around. No siblings. No cousins. Just the three of us. Grandparents also dead. So yeah." I took a much smaller sip of my drink to hide my awkwardness.

"So after your human life, what did you do?"

"I traveled actually. I was no longer the most infamous thief, nor the human. I was me. And I realized I hadn't seen much of what the world has to offer."

I nodded in understanding. I had tried to travel once. Maybe after this…ordeal, was over I would travel. Maybe if I was lucky. I drank the rest of my hot chocolate and set the mug down, pushing it slightly away from me. Kurama did the same with his drink. He motioned Aine over.

"What can I get you, Sugar?"

He gave her another polite smile, "the check when you get a minute, please."

"Sure thing! Separate checks?"

She seemed to be asking quite hopefully. I went to agree but Kurama cut me off.

"No, together please."

The moment she walked away I scowled at the man sitting across from me.

"You don't have to do that. I have my own money. Really."

"If your parents are in the ningenkai side of the barrier, why are you in the Makai?"

He ignored me. Rude. I would simply grab the check before he could. That would show him.

"I actually work. Um. _Worked_ here. Recently separated from my position."

Kurama simply raised an eyebrow at me. I sighed and put my head on the table momentarily.

"There was a difference in opinion. My boss thought it was necessary to grab every female worker's ass as she walked by. I felt my boss should no longer have working hands. I won."

He chuckled a little, biting the end of his thumb to seemingly keep the laughter low.

"He seems like someone who doesn't deserve working hands. I happen to know Yusuke doesn't approve of discrimination like that in the workplace. I could mention whatever place of business you worked at to him if you wish."

I scoffed a little. "She was a bitch. But there is no need to mention such a little thing to our King. Like I appreciate it and everything and it'd be a pretty image in my head to have the King come down on her, but nah. No need."

Aine walked up to our table at that moment. She went to set the check on the table but Kurama was already holding cash out to her. Plenty to cover the bill.

"Keep the change."

Aine blushed and nodded thanking him as she scurried away. Kurama stood as well and held his hand out to me.

"Shall we go get you that hotel room?"

I stared at Kurama as we stood in a lobby of some fancy hotel. He was speaking to the clerk.

"Kazemizu, Mirai is the name for the room."

I scrambled to get my wallet out and handed my card to the demon behind the desk. He swiped it and handed it back to me.

"You will be in room 665. Take the elevator to the sixth floor and you will head to the right. We hope you enjoy your stay."

I smiled at the demon and turned away looking for the elevators. My bag was on my back and I could feel the weight of my tablet in my pocket. I was coming to not like this whole time skipping forward thing. I needed to figure out what was going on. When I found the elevators I walked to them feeling Kurama's presence following me. I hit the up button and turned to find him mere steps behind me.

"We are still being honest with each other correct?"

The question had my hackles rising again.

"Yes?"

"Good. Then I will be blunt. Like you. I've met a lot of people in my travels, none that have intrigued me as much as you. I'd like to spend some more time with you and get to know you better. What is the best way to contact you since I know you won't be staying here forever?"

Kurama was handing me back my tablet. It had been upgraded through the years to act as any other smart phone of this time. As I took my tablet back, I saw that he had entered his number and name in my contact list and I had placed one call to him ten seconds ago. I folded it up and put it in my pocket. He was fishing his phone out of his pocket, only slightly smaller than my tablet, he unlocked it pulled up the missed call. A few clicks and he had saved it in his phone. He pointed it at me.

"Smile."

I put my hand in front of my face as quick as I could, "Come on, I look horrible I know it. I've been trouncing through those fucking woods for who knows how long. Please. Next time you see me."

"Promise?" he asked as he lowered it slowly.

I sighed, "Yeah. Promise." I never break a promise and I hated promising such stupid things. It wasn't that I didn't want to see him again. I just wasn't one to be in front of cameras.

Kurama put his phone back in his pocket and snatched my hand up before I could realize what he was doing. He placed the most chaste of kisses on my knuckles just as the little 'ding' of the elevator arriving rang through the lobby.

"Until later."

He let my hand go, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling away. The fucker actually _strolled_ away. I growled a little and walked into the elevator. I pushed the 6 button and slumped against the wall of the elevator. The elevator dinged letting me know I was at my floor. I found my room and let myself in. It wasn't anything special. Bed, dresser, table and a few chairs. Tv on the wall and a bathroom off through a doorway. I threw my bag onto the bed and pulled my tablet out of my pocket. I looked through my contacts before I found who I was looking for. I pressed call. I could've done a face to face but I really didn't feel like it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mum."

"Where the hell are you?!"

I didn't get my foul mouth on my own. It was definitely an inherited trait.

"Ok. Don't freak. I borrowed a friend's flying eye. I was over this forest. WHEN THE FUCKING EYE DIED! I didn't know the damn things died!"

I fell back onto the mattress, my arm thrown over my eyes.

"Ok, so you are stuck in a forest? Does Dad need to come get you?"

"No. So I was walking through this damn forest and…" I thought of how to word this. I couldn't out right tell her I was on one of my paths for my Life Phrase but… "And I came upon some different paths. If you know what I mean. I took one of the paths and I met, you'll never fucking guess who."

It took her a minute. I loved my mother dearly but she wasn't always the sharpest tool in the tool shed. "What do you mean different paths? Did you check your...oh. OH! Ok! Well this will be interesting. Who did you meet on the path?"

She was a history teacher at the local college so I knew she would know who I spoke of.

"Yoko. Fucking. Kurama. We had drinks at a local café. I have so much to tell you when I get home. He told me all about what happened to him after the first world tournament."

"You're joking right?!" When I didn't tell her I was joking she screamed in excitement.

"When are you coming home?! Are you seeing him again?! I need details!"

I laughed at her eagerness, "I'm at a hotel for the day. I was so tired from that forest. I'm told I'm about a two hours walk from the Sarayashiki barrier. Which for me means like…6 hours. Plus the hour walk from the barrier to your place. I'll start out in the morning. Yes I will see him again. Eventually. We exchanged numbers. I will give you the details when I get home. I just called to tell you I'm not dead. I really need to get a nap, some actual food. Then more sleep. Tell Da I send my love."

She growled at me. Ugh. She wasn't happy. "Fine. I'll have Dad waiting for you at the Sarayashiki barrier to take you here so you don't have to walk. Be there by noon."

"But that means I have to start at SIX FUCKING AM!"

"Or you could walk like a normal demon and have it take half that time."

I wished I was face to face calling her. She could've seen my glare. "Goodbye Ma." I clicked the off button and set it on the bedside table with an alarm for a few hours from now. I wasn't kidding about the actual food. The hot chocolate had been good but not filling.

* * *

I know it's been a long time! Life has been crazy. But I hope to continue this story. I already have 2 more chapter written and ready. I truly do enjoy this story. It makes me laugh, cringe, and feel all the feels. I hope it makes you do the same. So here we are with the first meeting! It's not very often I am able to write a chapter and with only the slightest grammatical changes, am actually happy with it. It's turning into that with this whole story.  
Thank you so much for reading I would love to hear what you think of it!


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